20 | MARCH 17 • 2022 

OUR COMMUNITY

Rabbi Josh Warshawsky serves 
as the rabbi-in-residence of the 
Solomon Schechter Day School 
of Metropolitan Chicago. He 
was ordained as a rabbi in May 
2019 from the Ziegler School 
of Rabbinic Studies in Los 
Angeles and has spent the past 
20 summers at Camp Ramah 
in Wisconsin, and the last nine 
summers also teaching and 
performing at Ramah camps 
across the country. He lives in 
Columbus, Ohio, with his wife, 
Adina Allen.
 Last month, Rabbi Dahlen 
was able to interview Rabbi Josh. 
Here are some highlights from 
that conversation.

Rabbi Dahlen: Could you tell us 
just a little bit about your career?

Rabbi Josh: I went to Israel 
for a year before I went to 
college, and I studied at the 
Columbia University and the 
Jewish Theological Seminary. 
I love studying Jewish text and 

Hebrew, and so I wanted to 
continue learning. While I was 
in school, I needed a job and 
found one at a Hebrew school 
in the area that was looking 
for a music teacher. I said, “I 
play guitar. I went to summer 
camp. I think I could probably 
do that.
” So I did, and I learned 
a lot about what it meant to 
create music and community 
for people. 

Rabbi Dahlen: Why did you 
decide to pursue ordination?

Rabbi Josh: I like Judaism. I like 
music. I like doing the things 
that I do, but maybe there’s 
something else that’s out there 
for me. Jews are a meaning- 
making people, right? That’s 
what we do. When we say a 
brachah, a blessing, we’re notic-
ing a moment in time and say-
ing this moment is important to 
me. We say a blessing when we 
light candles for Shabbat. This 
moment is important to me.

Rabbi Josh Warshawsky will lead Shabbaton 
at Congregation Shaarey Zedek on March 25-26.
Someday … Is Here

JN STAFF
D

o you ever put the 
next steps of your 
Jewish journey in 
the “someday” section of 
your calendar? We’ve all been 
there. And honestly, many of 
us are there right now. But 
Congregation Shaarey Zedek 
(CSZ) is ready to say that 
“someday” is here!
CSZ will hold a Shabbaton 
the weekend of March 25-26 
with special guest Josh 

Warshawsky, an international-
ly known performer, compos-
er and rabbi. Originally from 
Deerfield, Ill., Josh has shared 
his original melodies with 
more than 100 Jewish com-
munities throughout the U.S., 
Canada, the U.K. and Israel. 
He has released four albums of 
Jewish music with a fifth one 
scheduled for release during 
the week of the Shabbaton.
Why a Shabbaton? “The 

pandemic has changed us — 
it’s time for us to reconnect 
with one another and find 
community. We are seeking 
new levels of meaningfulness 
and spiritual nourishment 
through the CSZ community,” 
said Rabbi Yoni Dahlen. 
“The Shabbaton will jump 
start our Jewish journey 
together. We want to be able 
to build on and enhance this 
journey through our holi-

days and the activities we do 
together.”
The Shabbaton is open to 
all: families, singles, children 
and non-Jewish spouses and 
partners. 
“
Anyone ready to come 
together for a really wonderful 
weekend full of great music, 
great friendship, and opportu-
nities for a mindful, purpose-
ful, meaningful experience,” 
Dahlen said. 

 AN INTERVIEW WITH RABBI WARSHAWSKY

Rabbi Josh 
Warshawsky

